Monday, April 21, 2014

Celebrating Three Huge Victories for Virginia Animals!




Hello Advocates!

This last legislative session in Virginia was a historical
 one for animals. We are thrilled to say that THREE bills
 are now signed into law that will provide critical 
and necessary protections for Virginia's most vulnerable
 animals. Your contributions to Humane Dominion 
enabled us to tip the scales just enough to get these 
bills passed. This is a game-changing year for us 
at Humane Dominion, the legislature in Richmond, 
and for the future of animal welfare in Virginia. 
And this has all been possible because of YOU!

We've gone into some detail about our victories on 
our website, but here is a brief recap of each one. 
You will find a link to each of the major sponsors 
of each bill below and we ask that you take time to
email each of these champions and thank them for 
supporting animals. Below you will also find a link 
to the Virginia Legislative Information System for 
each bill. Please take the time to visit the page and 
thank the co-patrons and patrons for each bill.

HB 972, known as the Pet Protective Order, was 
introduced by Del. Ben Cline, R-Rockbridge. 
This law gives people who file domestic violence 
charges against a partner the power to obtain custody 
of their family pets and prohibits further violence 
directed toward the pet. Virginia LIS page for HB 972

SB 228, also known as Bailey's Law, led by Sen. Chap Petersen
D-Fairfax, passed unanimously, This requires pet stores 
to inform customers about the source of their dogs. 
This measure is designed to prevent people
 from unknowingly purchasing a dog bred by a 
cruel puppy mill. 
Virginia LIS page for SB 228

SB 42, championed by Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax, 
finally passed after three hard fought years. 
Fox pens host staged competitions where wild-caught 
foxes are thrown in electrified-fenced enclosures for 
dogs to chase down. This bill phases out existing pens, 
and prohibits any new fox pens from being opened, 
sparing the lives of thousands of foxes in the future. 
Virginia LIS page for SB 42

Policy is true prevention - Prevention from more 
animals being caught in the cycle of suffering. 
Because we at Humane Dominion know that we 
can not prevent suffering until we strengthen the 
laws that protect animals.

We can't rest and must continue to strengthen 
Humane Dominion and our grassroots base in 
preparation for the 2015 legislative session and 
elections.  While we are successful this session 
showed the true colors of several legislators 
who voted against our protection bills and made 
themselves known to be an enemy of the animals.  
We must focus on these obstructionists and continue 
to build a more humane General Assembly.

Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities this summary 
to support our work.  THANK YOU for your support.  
Our victories are only made possible because of YOU!


- Laura Donahue

Speaking for the Silent: A Voice for Virginia's Animals

Working together to ensure the compassionate and 
humane treatment of Virginia's animals.

Remember Michael Vick's Disgusting Dog Fighting Ring? 7 Years later...

Remember Michael Vick’s Disgusting Dogfighting Ring? Well, 7 Years Later… Check this Out.

April 10, 2014Stories
In 2007, a group of dogs were saved from organized torture in NFL player Michael Vick’s backyard. His dog fighting ring was liberated and he was put in jail for his atrocities.
Many people believed that the dogs found at his house weren’t fit to live in homes, because of their killer instincts. That just isn’t true, and the Best Friends Animal Society agrees. They took in 22 dogs, which became known as “Vicktory Dogs.” They were saved from that horrible place… and found loving, amazing homes. They found ‘victory’ in love.
Here are their stories.
Many people believed the dogs were too “damaged” to find proper homes.Many people believed the dogs were too "damaged" to find proper homes.
Help the ASPCA raise dog fighting awareness by sharing this article. No dogs are “natural killers,” with vicious instincts. Humans teach them those barbaric behaviors… and humans can put an end to it.
Dogs are meant to be loved in forever homes, not treated like dirt. Please share this with others.


Friday, April 4, 2014

How can I stop my dog from jumping the fence and running away?

How can I stop my dog jumping the fence and running
away?
Dogs jump fences for many different reasons such as:
• He sees an animal or something else that he feels compelled to chase.
• The dog sees a friendly person or dog she'd like to meet.
Perhaps your dog is bored and looking for something to do, or looking for you. Some dogs can suffer from separation anxiety
• A dog could find it frightening to be left alone in a yard.
• A dog might learn to associate the yard with anxiety, fear or loneliness.
• Dogs can also wander to search for mates so it is important to talk to your vet about spaying and neutering.
• Sometimes dogs can hear things on the other side of the fence and jump over to investigate.
It'€™s very important to work out the underlying cause for the jumping.
Knowing why a dog is jumping over a fence is the first step to addressing the issue.
Make sure all of your dog's physical, social and behavioral needs are being met.
Is your dog is getting enough daily physical exercise? It'€™s important to provide daily exercise such as going for a walk and/or visiting a park. This also provides your dog with new and interesting smells and environments in which to seek and explore.
Are they receiving enough daily attention and social company?
Does your dog have environmental enrichment?
Does your dog have safe dog toys to play with?
If your dog likes to dig, do they have a designated digging area?
Do they have food, water and shelter and a comfortable sleeping area?
Do they have access to a toilet area?
Does your dog suffer from separation anxiety? You should talk to your vet for advice.
How long is your dog left on their own? If a dog is left for long periods alone this can lead to boredom and frustration which can then lead to wandering and jumping. It'€™s important to minimize the time left alone in the yard. Try organizing for a dog walk in the middle of the day to break up the time period in the yard.
Is your dog fixed? Unfixed dogs are more likely to wander in order to find a mate to breed with so talk to your vet about spay and neuter.
If you are in the yard with your dog it is unlikely they will try to jump the fence while you are there as they usually prefer to stay with you. However if your dog looks interested in jumping, catch their attention by calling them or grabbing their favorite toy or tasty food treat. When your dog responds to you and comes towards you, always reward them for this. Continue to reward them when they move away from the fence and come towards you.
In addition to ensuring all of your dog€™s needs are being met and ruling out other underlying causes for jumping such as separation anxiety or searching for mates to breed with, here are a few suggestions to prevent your dog even being able to jump the fence.

Use PVC plastic piping or large rubber tubes, at least 5 to 6 inches in diameter, cut lengthwise down the centre. Place them along the top of your fence. This makes a curved, slippery surface that a dog cannot get a grip on to get over the top of the fence.

Alternatively, place a small diameter PVC pipe inside a larger diameter pipe and hang these on a cable I suspended above the fence to create a €roller bar€™ which a dog€™s paws cannot hold onto.
Erect a shorter, interior fence two or three feet from the outside fence, preventing him from getting a running start. Plant shrubs a couple feet from the inside of the fence, again breaking that running start.

• Place "cat netting" along the fence at an angle so that your dog cannot get a foothold on the fence.
Article ID: 14
Last updated: 11 Feb, 2014
Companion animals -> Dogs -> Behavior -> How can I stop my dog jumping the fence and running away?
http://kb.rspca.org.au/entry/14/